The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a functional block diagram of an engine system 100 according to the prior art is depicted. A powertrain controller 102 receives signals from vehicle sensors 104, such as pedal position sensors and vehicle speed sensors. Based on these signals, the powertrain controller 102 communicates a control signal to a transmission 106 indicating which gear to select. The powertrain controller 102 communicates signals to an engine 108 indicating fuel and spark parameters. The powertrain controller 102 communicates a control signal to an electronic throttle control (ETC) motor 110, which varies the position of a throttle valve modulating air intake of the engine 108.